North Canterbury News: September 28, 2023
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NEWS<br />
The <strong>North</strong> <strong>Canterbury</strong> <strong>News</strong>, <strong>September</strong> <strong>28</strong>, <strong>2023</strong><br />
New war memorial on the drawing board<br />
By DAVID HILL,<br />
Local Democracy Reporter<br />
The Culverden communityishoping to<br />
have anew war memorialinplacefor the<br />
town’sAnzac Day service next year.<br />
Fundraising is under way and a<br />
memorial design has beenapproved with<br />
the support of the Hurunui District<br />
Council, Culverden Community<br />
Committeechairperson DavidCroft said.<br />
The new design is based on acorten<br />
steel memorial at Leyland in England,<br />
with the shape of asoldier cut out and<br />
standing nine metres high.<br />
The Culverden version will be six<br />
metreshigh,with apoppyand the words<br />
‘‘LestWeForget’’ on the front and a<br />
memorial on the other side, which will be<br />
lit up at night.<br />
It will be placed in the Rutherford<br />
Reserve,next to Amuri Area School.<br />
‘‘It is going to be very unique, there won’t<br />
be anything quite like it in New Zealand,’’<br />
Mr Croftsaid.<br />
The projectwas expected to cost<br />
$150,000.<br />
The Hurunui DistrictCouncil’s Amuri<br />
Community Committee,also chaired by Mr<br />
Croft,has approved the use of $56,000 in<br />
funds held in trust from the sale of the<br />
town’sDrill Hall in the 1980s.<br />
More than $20,000ofcommunity support<br />
has also been secured.<br />
The Drill Hall was built by the late<br />
DuncanRutherford in 1902 to train<br />
mounted rifleman and was gifted to the<br />
community. The Amuri mounted rifleshad<br />
to buy their own uniforms, so Rutherford<br />
paid for those who could notafford it, Mr<br />
Croft said.<br />
Anzac Day services alternated between<br />
Waiau,Rotherham and Culverden.<br />
Culverden services werepreviouslyheld<br />
in the AmuriArea School grounds, next to<br />
atree planted in memory of aformerpupil<br />
who was killed in World War 1. But the<br />
treeblew overduring astorm and had to<br />
be removed.<br />
Culverden last hosted the AnzacDay<br />
servicein2021, with the community<br />
gatheringatthe Culverden Volunteer Fire<br />
Brigade rooms,before crossing the busy<br />
Mountainview Roadtoaset of memorial<br />
gates.<br />
‘‘Itwas just not the right placefor the<br />
ceremony because it is such abusy road,’’<br />
Mr Croft said. ‘‘And we had the fire alarm<br />
go off in the middle of the service.’’<br />
Culverden was due to host the Anzac<br />
Day service againnext year and Mr Croft<br />
hoped the foundations would be laid<br />
before Christmas.<br />
The CulverdenCommunity Committee<br />
needed to raise another$70,00 and has<br />
already approached theRoyal New<br />
Zealand RSA and the Lotteries<br />
Commission, with support from the<br />
council.<br />
Aleaflet drop in the community is also<br />
planned.<br />
‘‘What we plan on building is reasonably<br />
simple, but Ithink it willbereally<br />
poignant,’’ Mr Croft said.<br />
Publicinterest journalism funded<br />
through New Zealand on Air.<br />
Memorial .,.. Ascale model of the<br />
proposed Culverden war memorial against<br />
the backdrop of the Rutherford Reserve.<br />
PHOTO: DAVIDHILL<br />
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